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24 A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. ~ Matthew 10:24-26
Today, we return to our study of Matthew 10 where the Lord Jesus was preparing His disciples for their first ministry opportunity. Every believer in the Lord Jesus is called by the Lord Jesus to "make disciples." As the Lord Jesus sent the very first disciples out to make disciples, He was making of them disciples. Disciple-making is a relational activity. When a rabbi called disciples to himself, he was calling them to follow his way of living closely.
The Lord Jesus called the disciples to follow Him, to do life together with Him. Later, after the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, Peter and John were brought before the religious leaders and teachers for trial. When the leaders saw the courage of Peter and John, realizing they were unschooled, ordinary men, the leaders were astonished and recognized that Peter and John had been with the Lord Jesus. This is the key to being a disciple of the Lord Jesus, that is to do life with Him as the Disciple-Maker.
In v.24 of today's passage we read, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master."
The word "disciple" means learner which morphs into becoming a disciple-maker. But, being a disciple of the Lord Jesus means much more than leading people into a personal relationship with Him. That is not the end of our commission; that is merely the beginning. Disciples of the Lord Jesus have been called into a relationship with Him that is so profound that it reproduces itself in others. The Lord Jesus is the Disciple-Maker and as we find our faith in Him, He gives us the courage to conquer our fears because He is and will always be greater than our fears.
The best learning is observed learning because more is caught than is taught. Since God had equipped His disciples with His Word and the Holy Spirit, it is a must that we assume the posture of the servant. This is part of the reason the Lord Jesus brought in the word "servant" here which literally means slave. The disciple must lose sight of his own will in order to be embraced by the will of the Master. The disciple has been set free from sin and made a willing servant who gladly serves the Lord over self.
In v.25 of today's passage we read, "It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!"
The Jewish religious leaders had previously accused the Lord Jesus of doing miracles by the power of Beelzebub which was another name for Satan. Beelzebub literally means “lord of the house.” Israel was meant to be God’s house, with God ruling over them, but they relinquished God's rule when they went the way of Satan in the Garden of Eden. The point the Lord Jesus was making was this: persecution will come to those who resemble their Master, the Lord Jesus. The world hates the Lord Jesus and therefore anyone else that is truly reflective of Him. The disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ can be confident. We do not need to fear the future regardless of the strength and intensity of any persecution that may come upon us because God has given us eternity. There is no cause for us to worry about our Savior’s love, for God is personally and intimately involved with us. His love for us is infinite in keeping with His own character.
In v.26 of today's passage we read, "Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known."
The persecutors of the Lord Jesus watched Him do good but they refused to acknowledge Him as good. Instead, they acknowledged Him as the arch enemy of God. They totally misunderstood the Lord Jesus and His ministry. As such they resisted Him to the greatest degree! The Lord Jesus said, "Do not fear them." Certainly, the Lord Jesus’ admonition to not fear is not limited to the Pharisees. It certainly applies to everyone who would resist God's truth as it is presented. Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ will be misunderstood in this world. The fact is that we will be hated by world because it is not aligned with the Lord.
This is the first of three times in the greater context here that the Lord Jesus reminded the disciples to not fear. He said this because God will clarify everything in the end. At the end of time, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ will be included on His side which will triumph over evil. He will overcome that which has caused us fear. He will do this by the truth. At the end of time, people will see how sinful and wicked they were to resist the Lord Jesus. And, just as He will be vindicated by the truth, so also will we be vindicated. In that day, God will set all records straight. The truth that we have been telling people for years will be demonstrated to be true and it will endure.
